Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Famer Abner Haynes Dead at 86
Abner Haynes, a former Kansas City Chiefs running back who was with the team during its early days in the 1960s, has died. He was 86.
The team announced Haynes’ death in a statement released on Thursday, July 18. His cause of death was not immediately released to the public.
Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said that he and his family were “deeply saddened” by the death of “one of the first great stars of the Dallas Texans and the American Football League.” After detailing some of the professional footballer’s achievements on the field, Hunt noted that Haynes was also “a man of courage and leadership from a very young age.”
“He remained involved in the community well after his playing days were over, and his legacy extends far beyond the gridiron,” Hunt said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Guadalupe and his entire family during this difficult time.”
Haynes was born on September 19, 1937, in Denton, Texas. While in college at North Texas State College, he was among the first Black student athletes to play for an integrated college football team in the state, according to the NFL. He was named an All-American in 1959 by Time, and was years later inducted into the North Texas Athletic Hall of Fame.
Haynes began playing in the American Football League during the 1960 season with the Dallas Texans, the team that became the Chiefs a few years later when Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt relocated the team to Missouri. Haynes was awarded the Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors for that first season and went on to set several team records. Following his five years with the Chiefs, Haynes also played for the Denver Broncos, the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins.
In recognition of Haynes’ accomplishments with the Chiefs, the team inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 1991.